The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-02-12
AORIFT On ICY SEAS.
Arctic Ocean Travel Wildly Described by
an English Admiral.

Arctic Ocean Travel Wildly Described By
an English Admiral.
A distinguished Englishman has been
quietly taking observations of our city
recently. He is Admiral Sir Edward
Inglefield, C. B., who few years ago
was commander-in-chief of the British
squadron on the North American and
West Indian station. During the time
of the settlement of the Alabama
claims he was naval 'ttache of the
British Legation at Washington. What
gives the Admiral chief distinction in
the eyes of many is the fact that he was
the pioneer explorer in the Arctic re-
gions in and about Smith Sound, going
there in his own yacht a year before
the American explorer, Dr. Kane. On
this voyage he discovered and marked
out eight hundred miles of new coast
line. After that he commanded two
Arctic expeditions for the British Gov
eminent and for his services was
knighted. The Admiral was asked his
opinion on the subject of Arctic eXplor-
alton.
every thing has been done that can
be to reach the Pole" he said. "On
account of the vast masses of paleoclystic
ice it is impossible to get farther, and it
is necessary to carry provisions not only
for the journey north but also for the
return. The Pole is, after all, only a
geographical curiosity, and it would be
no real benefit to humanity to discover
it. In Franklin's time the object was
to discover Northwest passage, and
over thirty expeditions were sent in
search of him or his remains. In truth,
these expeditions to the Pole are merely
matters of rivalry. Even scientific re-
search fails to make it a sufficient in
ducement."
You have been in the Arctic regions
several timespn
eyes. My first trip was in my steam
yacht, vessel of $50 tons. The trip
was made in 1852. Lady Franklin gave
me the vessel, and paid the expenses.
i went up Smith Sound, for Lady Frank
lin had the idea that her husband had
attempted to find the Northwest passage
by going in that direction. BY that
voyage l set at rest the question of his
ever having gone through there. On
that trip l went 120 miles further north
in Baflin's Bay than any one ever went
before, and it was then that discovered
800 miles of coast line. Twas just four
months, to day, on the expedition.
We could only steam at tAerate of three
knots an hour; but we accomplished
our purpose. The yacht was afterwards
lost rounding Cape Horn. Afterwards
l commanded several Government ex-
petitions, on one of which one
of my ships-the storeship, of
about 800 tons-was crushed by the
ice and went to the bottom
in ten minutes. This was at Beechy
Island, where Franklin had his first
winter quarters. / was in the ship just
ahead at the time, which was towing
the other one. On that expedition [
went out with three ships and returned
with only one. The ice which crushed
the ship was that which was moved by
the sea; at one time there will be open
water and then the great masses will
crush together with terrific force"
you must have seen some big ice
bergs?"
81 have, but the ice l speak of is not
such as makes icebergs, though it APP
pears to be a common idea that it is.
1t is foe ice, made by the sea freezing
over, while icebergs are formed by fresh
water. In one season the sea will freeze
over to q depth of eight to ten feet, and
each year it will increase more or less
in thickness. have seen this ice thirty
to forty feet thick. l have often seen 100
icebergs floating away at the same
time. The glaciers push themselves
say two miles out into the sea, get over
weighted and break off, having no
longer the support of the bottom. L
have seen them three miles long and
120. feet out of water, and that would
be only one-tenth of them. One of my
narrow escapes was on my third expe-
dition, when the false keel of my vessel
was cut Off from stem to stern. Luckily
we were pushed up on the land and so
were saved. Just before that | had re-
leved De Bclcher and his crews, who
had deserted their four ships in the ice
and were coming home all crowded into
one vessel. That was in 1854"
''What do you think Of GreelyP'
''He had a wonderful escape and is
man worthy to head such an enterprise
"a man of extraordinary resources and
great daring, and, I'm afraid, he has
not been so well rewarded as he de-
serves. ~. Y. Mail and Express.
EVERGREEN HEDGES.